Safety first as free vehicle checks take place at UK’s largest port

As part of ABP Humber’s commitment to improving road safety each side of the port gates, vehicle roadworthiness checks were offered to anyone attending the port of Immingham one day this week.

After hosting the Driving Safety Forward Forum last month, ABP in Immingham have once again partnered with Highways England and Humberside Police, along with Safer Roads Humber to conduct the free checks.

A vehicle attended the compound every 5 minutes throughout the 5 hour operation to receive their complimentary oil, screen wash and tyre check. Highways England also utilised their new hand-held device which is able to check each tyre’s tread, pressure and overall maintenance, from a single swipe along its surface.

Port Manager for Grimsby and Immingham, Mark Frith said: “We’re continually reviewing and improving our safety procedures on the port estate and our partnership with Highways England enables us to roll out a focussed initiative on road and vehicle safety.”

He continued: “After the success of last month’s Driving Safety Forward forum, it was great to see that there was an appetite from our customers and tenants to get on board with the project. It’s the first time we’ve hosted the free checks and the team serviced around 60 vehicles which was a fantastic result for all involved.”

Cars, vans and motorbikes arrived at the compound at regular intervals throughout the day, with one driver dropping by to have this car checked prior to a drive down to London.

Sarah Watson-Quirk, Regional Road Safety Coordinator for Highways England said: “Thousands of vehicles start or end their journey at the port each day using our network to transport the imported and exported goods. By putting in place preventative measures we are reducing the risk of incidents taking place on the roads and improving safety by making the roads across the country a safer place for drivers, both professional and public.”

After the success of the initial safety checks, ABP plans to host a second event later in the year, whereby customers and tenants on the port estate will be personally invited to have their vehicles checked over.